Electronic-excitation versus nuclear collision damage by ion-beams in dielectric materials (LiNbO3)

The lattice disorder generated in LiNbO3 by electronic excitation is quantitatively assessed and compared to that produced by elastic nuclear collisions. In particular, the main differential features between the two mechanisms are clearly established. The analysis is based on a recent non-radiative exciton decay model. For ions with atomic mass ⩾15, the local damage caused by electronic excitation is strongly enhanced (up to three orders of magnitude) in comparison to that predicted by nuclear collisions.